Karaoke bar owner sentenced to jail for fire that killed 13 in Hanoi

The owner of a karaoke bar in Hanoi has been sentenced to nine years in prison for a fire that killed 13 people just over a year ago.

The investigation concluded that a welder had set fire to a billboard at the karaoke joint in Cau Giay District, which spread to three neighboring buildings and incinerated a car and motorbikes on the street in early November 2016.

Owner Nguyen Dieu Linh was held responsible for hiring welder Hoang Van Tuan without proper supervision.

Tuan received seven years in prison, as did Le Thi Thi who hired him despite knowing he was not a professional.

The three defendants, Hoang Van Tuan (R), Le Thi Thi and Nguyen Dieu Lieu Linh. Photo by VnExpress/Viet Dung

Police said Tuan was working on a billboard on the second floor when sparks took flame.

The walls, built of metal and wood instead of concrete as regulated, caught fire immediately. The flames quickly spread through the building.

The bar did not have any emergency exit on the second floor, leaving customers trapped inside.

Vietnamese police are currently working on another deadly blaze at an apartment complex in Ho Chi Minh City that killed 13 people last week.

Carina Plaza residents on Sunday filed a complaint to the prime minister blaming the building's investor, management board and the government agencies responsible for inspecting the building’s fire safety for the incident.

The fire, which incinerated 13 cars and 150 motorbikes, is one of the deadliest to hit the city after a blaze that killed 60 people at the six-story International Trade Center in October 2002.